There's hot. Then there's Death Valley National Park, where hot was invented. Or so it has seemed to many who've traveled to the geologic gem in the summer.

One century ago this week -- on July 10, 1913 -- the temperature in the Furnace Creek area of Death Valley hit 134 degrees, which is officially the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth. The record appeared to fall to Libya in 1922, when a weather station in El Azizia claimed a high of 136 degrees. But a review by climate scientists last year determined that the record was likely based on a reading from bad thermometer, placed in the wrong place, which was read by someone who didn't quite know how to do it right.

So California reclaimed the record, which will be celebrated by some hardy souls who will gather Wednesday in Furnace Creek, a point roughly 250 miles north of San Diego. National park authorities have taken a come one, come all approach to the festivities, although safety is on everyone's mind. The daytime high Monday through Wednesday is forecast to be 120, and there have been many occasions when the heat has hit 130, and a smidge higher. (Sidebar: The all-time high in San Diego County is the 122 reading recorded on June 25, 1990 in Borrego Springs.)

So why does Death Valley get so hot? The National Park Service was ready for your question, and explains it this way:

"The depth and shape of Death Valley influence its summer temperatures. The valley is a long, narrow basin 282 feet below sea level, yet is walled by high, steep mountain ranges. The clear, dry air and sparse plant cover allow sunlight to heat the desert surface. Heat radiates back from the rocks and soil, then becomes trapped in the valley's depths. Summer nights provide little relief as overnight lows may only dip into the 85°F to 95°F range. Heated air rises, yet is trapped by the high valley walls, is cooled and recycled back down to the valley floor. These pockets of descending air are only slightly cooler than the surrounding hot air. As they descend, they are compressed and heated even more by the low elevation air pressure. These moving masses of super heated air blow through the valley, creating extreme high temperatures."

Then there's this from the park service:

Highest ground temperatures

The highest ground temperature recorded was 201° F at Furnace Creek on July 15, 1972. The maximum air temperature for that day was 128° F.

The Astronomy Picture of the Day website had this to say about the image: "The 360-degree full-sky panorama is a composite of 30 images taken two years ago in Racetrack Playa. The image has been digitally processed and increasingly stretched at high altitudes to make it rectangular. In the foreground on the image right is an unusually placed rock that was pushed by high winds onto Racetrack Playa after a slick rain. In the background is a majestic night sky, featuring thousands of stars and many constellations. The arch across the middle is the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy.''
Dan Duriscoe, U.S. National Park Service

The Astronomy Picture of the Day website had this to say about the image: "The 360-degree full-sky panorama is a composite of 30 images taken two years ago in Racetrack Playa. The image has been digitally processed and increasingly stretched at high altitudes to make it rectangular. In the foreground on the image right is an unusually placed rock that was pushed by high winds onto Racetrack Playa after a slick rain. In the background is a majestic night sky, featuring thousands of stars and many constellations. The arch across the middle is the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy.''